Last.



J. W. McDEVlTTI LAST.

APPLICATION FILED 050.12, I913.

Patented May 18, 1915.

5a., PHOTO-LITHCL. WASHINGTON. D. c

PATENT @ldl JAMES W. T'ICDEVITT, CF BRJCKTON, MASSA ASSIGNGE Til ELLERYC. HEIGHT, OF BRGGKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

application filed December 12, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES W. MoDnvrr'r, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Brockton, county ofPlymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Lasts,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

In the manufacture of block-lasts, i. 6. solid lasts having a removableinstep block, it is customary to insert a fixed wooden dowel in theforepart of the last as a stop and means for holding the instep block inplace. Ordinarily this dowel is of wood, and is fitted through a boredhole therefor, by a driving fit, and held in place by glue. This method,however, has been found to be objectionable, because the extremeleveling pressures applied to the bottom of the shoe sole, and throughsuch sole to the last, caused the dowel to be driven or forced stillfurther inwardly, often shearing the hold of the glue between the dowelpin and its socket. The driving fit of such dowel and socket alsonecessarily stripped ofi the glue from either the pin or the socket, sothat an insufficient quantity was left to hold the dowel firmly againstthe leveling and other pressures received by the bottom of the last, thewooden pin being displaced by such pressures, in use, resul ing in acorresponding protuberance on the sole of the shoe made thereon.Furthermore, the alternate dampening and drying of the wood of the last,due to applying the shoe materials thereon when moist and in tempertended to loosen the hold of the dowel in its socket, as well asloosening the glue. In order to overcome the difiiculties justmentioned, it was necessary to have a blind dowel construction, 2'. e;first making a small bore up through the last from the bottom, in orderto get the proper direction, and then counterboring from the top afterthe instep block had been sawed off. This enabled the dowel to be fitteddown into the socket, but was a very expensive method of manufacture.

My present invention provides a blocklast with a wooden dowel which mayhave the socket therefor bored and the dowel be driven in from thebottom of the last, as in the prior construction above explained, andyet will provide means to prevent the dowel being driven further throughits socket dur Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 806,143.

ing leveling, etc, and which will also enable glue to to be firmlylodged within the dowel socket, and protect said glue from all strippingor shearing action.

in my improved block-last, T bore the socket therefore entirely from thebottom of the last, first boring through the same in the same manner asfirst above outlined, and then counterboring from the bottom, or I mayprefer to provide the same bit with one portion to bore entirely throughthe last, and a second portion to effect the counter boring so that bothsockets are made by the same operation, the counterbored socket beingslightly larger than the bore going through the last. T then fit in thesocket so bored a dowel having a shank portion to fit the through boreand a head of slightly greater diamet r to fit the counterbored portionof the socket and drive the same in from the bottom of the last in thesame manner as formerly. The counterboring affords a shoulder within thesocket and the enlarged head of the dowel is adapted to fit upon saidshoulder, thus affording a firm mortised bearing, and preventing allfurther riving of the dowel during leveling, etc. Furthermore the headof the dowel acts as a means to hold the glue with which the socket orthe dowel may be coated, and force the same in an accumulated amountupon the shoulder in the socket on which the head of the dowel sets.Thus the glue is enabled to secure a firm hold upon the dowel and lastand unite the same in firm, solid, and permanent manner.

Other features of the invention, novel combinations of parts, anddetails of construction, will be hereinafter more fully pointed out andclaimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a block-last, partlyshown in section; Fig. 2 is a side View of the form of dowel employed;and 3 is an end view of said dowel.

The last comprises the main part 1 and the removable instep block 2. Theupper portion of the instep block and last are arranged to be united bythe usual spring dowel, indicated in dotted lines at 3, and the lowerpart of the block 2 is provided with a recess or groove 4: to enablesaid block to fit upon the projecting portion of the dowel 5. This dowelis fitted firmly and glued into the lower part 1, secured in a boredsocket provided therefor, having oneportion of the socket 6 of onediameter and the lower portion 7 of a greater diameter.

These sockets provide a shoulder 8 in the solid central portion of the df the,

last 1. The dowel 5 is of corresponding form, having its main, or shankportion to lit the bore 6 with a close driving fit, and the head 9 ofsuitable diameter to fit the socket 7, an annular shoulder 10 beingprovided between the head 9 and shank of the dowel which fits on theshoulder 8 ofthe last in the socket. r

The bored sockets 6 and 7 of different diameters mav be formed in anysuitable manner, as by boring the socket 6 entirely through the lastportion 1, and then counterboring the portion of the socket 7 intendedto receive the head 9 of the dowel. ,However, I prefer to employ asingle bit to form this socket of two diameters, the first portion ofthe bit being of appropriate diameter to bore the part 6 correspondingto the shank of the dowel and the adjacent portion of the bit ofenlarged diameter to form the socket 7 and shoulder 8, so that theentire socket may be formed at a single boring action, as aboveexplained.

In fitting the dowel into the last 1, either the sockets or'the shank ofthe dowel are coated with glue, and thedowel is then driven into thesocket, this action serving to force the glue on the shoulders 8 and 10,so that the dowel and last are firmly, solidly, and rigidly united, andany further driving or leveling action on the bottom of the last againstthe head 9 of the dowel simply acts to force these parts into closercontact, and cannot dislodge the dowel through any shearing action onthe glued joint, as in former constructions. The socket 7 beingpreferably counterbored a suitable depth to receive the length of theenlarged head of the dowel, enables the latter to be driven in exactlyflushwith the bottom of the last, or so nearly flush that in thefinishing of the last a perfectly smooth, flush surface is presented.The dowel cannot be displaced or driven into the socket further by anypressures ordinarily applied'to the bottom surface of the last duringshoe manufacture, and the provision of the shouldered joint also affordsprotection to the glue which holds the dowel in its normal position,preventing same from dropping out during the constantly alternatingswelling and contracting or give and take of the wood.

Thus the dowel is maintained with its head flush with the bottom surfaceof the last against any tendency to be driven further in, and make adepression, orworking out and make a protuberance with relation to thelast bottom.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: Y I 1. A last having a removable instep block,

and a last-part to receive said instep block,v said last-part beingprovided with a bored. and counter-bored socket extending from. thebottom thereof and the instep block having a cooperating recess, thecounter bore arranged to provide in the last-part an ani nular shoulderin the length of the socket, and a dowel fitting the bored andcounterbored parts of the socket and having 'a shoulder bearing uponsaid firstmentioned shoulder, the dowel being driven in from and flushwith the bottom surface of said last-part and projecting above thelatter "to cooperate with said recess of the instep block, wherebydisplacement of the dowel below said surface during leveling machine inga cooperating recess, the counter bore arranged to provide in thelast-part an annular shoulder in the length of the socket, and a dowelfitting the bored and counterbored parts of the socket in both thelastpart and instep blockand having a shoulder bearing upon. saidfirstmentioned shoulder and glued in place, the dowel being driven V infrom and flush with the bottom surface 7 of said last-part andprojecting above the latter to cooperate with said recess of the instepblock, whereby displacement of the dowel below said surface duringleveling machine pressures and loosening of the w glued joint by machinepressures or by al-, ternate swelling and drying of thewood isprevented. V

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to thisspecifica'tion, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.-

AM sw. MoDEVITT.

WVitnesses Gr. V. Soorr,

F. DURANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, I Washington, D. G. r

